Customer service is a skill like any other. Everyone has a different level of skill with regards to customer service, and while customer service can be trained you also want to make sure that you’re finding those that will excel in a customer service role. When you hire for customer service staff, you need a way to figure out which applicants will provide excellent customer service and which are less likely to connect with your customers.

Experience isn’t enough. You need to make sure you’re asking the right questions, because customer service is subjective. You want the right personalities for your business, and the people that are going to make you a success. The following are some great questions for finding customer service experts.

Examples of Customer Service Interview Questions to Ask

“How’s the weather?”

Why is this type of question useful? Because it will tell you if the candidate is engaging or a complainer. You want people that are positive, and those that are happy to talk to you about any topic. Asking about the weather, or a recent movie, or a local event will let you know if the person is positive and upbeat – exactly the type of person you want in customer service.

“Describe a time that you spoke to an angry customer. What happened?”

Behavioral interview questions tell you a lot about an applicant and how they view customer service. This type of question will see what they think about angry customers. Do they talk down to them as though they’re bad people, or do they sound hopeful and interested in helping the customer feel better?

“Is the customer always right?”

We all know the motto of the customer being always right. We also know that’s not usually true. Customers make mistakes like everyone else. Like the previous question, you want to find out how the candidate views customers and whether or not they believe that helping the customer is their job. Their answer to this question will tell you a lot about how they think about customers and customer service.

“What do you know about our company/product/service?”

Great customer service also involves a lot of learning, and the best customer service specialists show a willingness to learn on their own. Applicants should always research the company, but this is especially true in customer service where the employee’s ability to have answers to customer questions plays a significant role in their contribution.

“A customer calls angrily and says that our product was delivered to them broken. Pretend I am the customer. What do you say to me?”

Finally, you may also want to consider presenting them with scenarios. With these types of questions, you’re not necessarily looking for the right answer. You’re looking to see how well the applicant thinks on their feet, or whether they seem to struggle. This is one of the best ways to judge experience as well, since the less experienced individuals will often stumble over their words as they try to “talk to the customer.”

Great Questions Get Great Employees

The better your interview questions, the more likely you will be able to successfully identify quality customer service staff. It’s not always about where someone has worked in the past or what their position was, because customer service is very subjective. Focus your questions on finding experts that have the qualities you’re looking for in customer service staff, and you’ll be able to find those diamonds that will contribute to your company for years to come.